IPL 2021 UAE: Best Playing 11 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

David Warner’s place in question as we look at the perfect playing 11 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for phase 2 of IPL 2021 in UAE.

It’s a surprise that the team that has qualified for every knockout since 2016 has had their worst campaign ever so far in 2021. Such has been their misery that they are not only strangling at 8th position with just 1 win from 6 games but they also had to change their captain midway. 

David Warner, their most valuable player, and Captain till date was not only uncharacteristically removed from the captaincy position but also from the playing 11. Only a few poor outings, and SRH probably made the worst call of dropping a player that made this team a successful one. 

The good thing however for SRH is that even after strangling at the bottom position, they have not made any changes to their squad, unlike other teams. But the road ahead for SRH is too tough. They need to win at least 6 of their pending 7 matches to have a shot at the knockouts. Will they be able to do only time can tell. 

However, they should get their strategy right, and the first thing about their strategy would be the selection of the playing 11. David Warner was dropped from the last match SRH played. Will he continue to play is a question mark, but this is the best playing 11 Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) can adopt for Phase 2 of IPL 2021 in UAE. 

IPL 2021 Final Squad for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)   

Batsmen:  David Warner, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow (WK), Kane Williamson (C), Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg, Sreevats Goswami (WK), Virat Singh & Wriddhiman Saha (WK)

All-rounders: Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Jason Holder, Kedar Jadhav, Mohammad Nabi & Vijay Shankar

Bowlers: Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jagadeesha Suchith, Khaleel Ahmed, Mujeeb Zadran, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Siddharth Kaul & T Natarajan

Openers: Jonny Bairstow (WK) and David Warner 

In the last match SRH played in India, David Warner was shockingly dropped from the squad owing to a poor strike rate. Should SRH continue to drop Warner to play Mohammed Nabi in the lower-order? Well, they shouldn’t. Warner is a class player, and probably the best overseas player in the history of IPL.

A few bad games don’t make him a bad player. It is only a matter of time for a player of his quality to get back to form. Moreover, a break of 2 months must have given him the confidence to bounce back. He should definitely open alongside Jonny Bairstow, and reminisce the golden opening days of IPL 2019.

Middle-order: Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson (C) & Kedar Jadhav 

Manish Pandey and Kane Williamson have played at number 3 and number 4 for most of the matches in India. The team may follow a similar pattern to keep a strong top-order. However, the management would hope for Manish Pandey to be a little more aggressive in his approach as a defensive approach has cost them a few games. 

But the main problem for SRH is their fragile lower middle-order. Given the options they have, Kedar Jadhav at 5 and Abdul Samad at 6 seem the best option. Kedar can provide that stability and Abdul can play his natural attacking game. The only thing SRH would hope from these two is consistency to score. 

All-rounders: Abdul Samad & Abhishek Sharma 

One important toss-up for SRH would be between Vijay Shankar and Abhishek Sharma. Shankar is a Senior pro, and has been preferred as the leading all-rounder on many occasions. But off-late, his form has taken a drastic dip. Hence, it would be risky to play Vijay Shankar as a finisher.

Abhishek Sharma could be the ideal candidate at number 7. Although quite young, Abhishek has that batting ability to play quickfire knocks. In addition, he can be a handy spinner, and can give 2-3 important overs. Abdul Samad can also complement him in the bowling department by giving 1-2 important overs. 

Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed & T Natarajan 

The pace battery of SRH has always been full of options. They have as many as 6 Indian pace bowling options. All are quite good, but the three that shall make it to the playing 11 are Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, and T Natarajan. Of the three, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan are sure shot starters. 

For the third pacer slot, it would Ideally be a choice between Khaleel Ahmed and Sandeep Sharma. However, given the current form and team’s preference, Khaleel seems to be having an edge at the moment. But maybe on swing friendly conditions, Sandeep can get a go. Similarly, for spin-friendly conditions, Jagdeesha Suchith or Shahbaz Nadeem can get a go. 

Best Playing 11 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for Phase 2 of IPL 2021 in UAE:

Jonny Bairstow (WK), David Warner, Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson (C), Kedar Jadhav, Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed & T Natarajan. 

So, that completes the best predicted playing 11 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for phase 2 of IPL 2021. The main question for SRH would be whether to play David Warner or not. If they don’t then it would once again be a poor decision. Nevertheless, barring the above-mentioned ideal predicted playing 11, SRH can also try for the following combinations. 

• Mohammad Nabi or Jason Holder for David Warner depending on the pitch type.
• Priyam Garg or Virat Singh for Abhishek Sharma or Kedar Jadhav 
• Sandeep Sharma or J Suchith / Shahbaz Nadeem for spin-friendly conditions 

Thanks for reading! What’s your playing 11 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the second leg of IPL 2021 UAE? Please email your thoughts to business@cricalytics.com

ALSO READ: IPL 2021: Second Leg Best Predicted Playing 11 for Rajasthan Royals (RR)

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Adesh Kothari

Adesh Kothari is the founder of AK4Tsay1 Cricalytics with over 20 years of experience following Cricket.

Cricket to him is like what Football is to Lionel Messi, Singing is to Lata Mangeshkar, Dancing is to Michael Jackson, and Acting is to Clint Eastwood.

Besides his effervescent love for Cricket, Adesh is an MBA by qualification.